Lithium battery nail pulling and tray replacing process method and device suitable for multi-standard tray

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of lithium battery manufacturing, and particularly relates to a lithium battery nail pulling and tray changing process method and equipment suitable for multiple standard trays, which is executed based on an integrated equipment and comprises the following steps: firstly, identifying the specifications of the feeding and discharging trays, and respectively generating a source point matrix corresponding to a horizontal posture and a target point matrix corresponding to a vertical posture; secondly, controlling a transfer mechanism to grab the battery from the feeding tray to a position changing unit; then, the position changing unit performs a turning action to complete the spatial posture reconstruction of the battery from horizontal to vertical; next, a flexible nail pulling operation is performed through visual guidance and force control cooperation; finally, the processed battery is accurately transferred to the vertical containing groove of the discharging tray. The present application realizes teaching-free type changing by establishing a tray feature database, guarantees the nail pulling quality by fusing visual correction and residual detection, and improves the compatibility, operation efficiency and product yield of the lithium battery post-formation nail pulling and tray changing process by using a double-channel asynchronous interaction and dynamic path planning strategy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of lithium battery manufacturing technology, specifically to a lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process and equipment adapted to multiple tray types. Background Technology

[0002] In the automated production process of prismatic lithium batteries, the settling stage after electrolyte injection and the formation stage are two closely linked but distinctly different processes. Typically, during the settling stage after electrolyte injection, lithium batteries are placed horizontally on specific settling trays to prevent electrolyte overflow and ensure sufficient electrolyte wetting of the electrodes. In the subsequent formation stage, the batteries need to be connected to a formation cabinet for initial charge activation. This process generates a large amount of gas. To facilitate the removal of this gas using the negative pressure suction nozzles of the formation cabinet and to prevent battery swelling, the batteries must be kept upright and placed in formation trays with different structures. Furthermore, before entering the formation stage, the temporary sealing pins on the electrolyte injection holes must be removed to ensure unobstructed formation interfaces.

[0003] Currently, to address the aforementioned process requirements for removing adhesive pins and replacing trays, existing technologies mainly employ the following two operating modes: The first mode, segmented discrete operation, separates the nail removal process from the tray changing process using independent equipment. The battery first flows through the nail removal machine for blind removal, and then is transported over a long distance via belt conveyor or AGV to the tray changing machine for gripping and flipping operations.

[0004] In this mode, the batteries move between different devices, requiring multiple grabbing, releasing, and repositioning processes. Each positioning may introduce mechanical errors, making it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of the final tray placement. The control systems for the two processes operate independently, lacking a unified scheduling algorithm. This results in long intermediate material transfer times, and the overall production cycle is limited by transfer efficiency, making it impossible to achieve compact, continuous flow operations.

[0005] The second mode, a simple rigid series operation, although existing technologies attempt to integrate functions, still uses a simple series stepping method in terms of control logic, namely, waiting for loading, waiting for flipping, waiting for nail removal, and waiting for unloading.

[0006] In this mode, existing control methods are mostly single-threaded sequential execution. When the flipping mechanism is in the working position for nail removal, the transfer mechanism is often idle and waiting, lacking a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy, resulting in low overall equipment utilization. Furthermore, existing transfer control is mostly based on fixed mechanical teaching points, lacking data processing capabilities based on coordinate matrix mapping. When the production line needs to switch between different specifications of stationary pallets or forming pallets, manual readjustment of mechanical limits or re-teaching is often required, resulting in long changeover cycles and difficulty in adapting to the flexible production needs of multi-standard pallets. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the first aspect of this invention proposes a lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process adapted to multiple tray types, based on an integrated device. The device includes a feeding unit, a repositioning unit, a pin removal unit, and an unloading unit. The process includes the following steps: S1. Pallet type recognition and coordinate mapping: Obtain the specification parameters of the currently input loading pallet and unloading pallet; The control system generates a source point plane coordinate matrix and a target point three-dimensional coordinate matrix according to the specification parameters; Wherein, the source point corresponds to the flat posture of the lithium battery, and the target point corresponds to the vertical posture of the lithium battery. S2. Cyclic material handling and pre-positioning: The control transfer mechanism picks up the lithium battery in a flat position from the loading tray according to the source point position plane coordinate matrix and transports it to the receiving position of the displacement unit. S3, Attitude Conversion and Spatial Reconstruction: Control the displacement unit to hold the lithium battery and perform a flipping action from horizontal to vertical. At the same time, move the lithium battery from the receiving position to the working position to complete the spatial attitude reconstruction of the lithium battery so that its liquid injection hole faces the nail removal unit. S4. Flexible nail removal operation: At the work position, the nail removal unit is controlled to perform rigid clamping and flexible removal operations on the lithium battery to remove the glue nails at the lithium battery injection hole. S5, Cross-posture transfer and stacking: Control the transfer mechanism to grab the lithium battery that has been converted to a vertical posture from the working position of the displacement unit, and accurately load the lithium battery into the vertical receiving slot of the unloading tray according to the three-dimensional coordinate matrix of the target point.

[0008] Preferably, step S4 includes the following sub-steps: S41. Visual guidance and correction: The nail removal unit moves to above the preset coordinates, identifies the actual center coordinates of the nail through the visual sensor, calculates the deviation value from the theoretical coordinates, and compensates for the movement position. S42, Segmented downward pressure fixing: Control the downward pressure plate of the nail puller to contact the top of the lithium battery. First, apply the first pre-tightening force. After confirming good contact, apply the second locking force to prevent displacement during nail pull. S43, Clamping and Force-Controlled Pulling Out: Control the gripper to insert and clamp the head of the glue nail, then control the lifting unit to pull out at a low speed at the first speed. After the glue nail is loosened, switch to the second speed to pull out quickly, and move the pulled-out glue nail to the top of the collection device for release.

[0009] Preferably, the method also includes a machine vision-based quality loop closure detection step: After the nail removal action is completed in step S4, and before the transfer and gripping in step S5, the vision inspection mechanism is controlled to acquire images of the lithium battery injection hole area located on the displacement unit. Analyze the images to determine if any adhesive residue remains; If it is determined that there is no residue, a transfer permission signal is generated, triggering step S5; If residue is detected, an abnormal signal is generated, and the control system suspends the process alarm or triggers the nail removal unit to perform a secondary nail removal action.

[0010] Preferably, the displacement unit includes a first and a second flipper arranged side by side; the process method adopts a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy. Interactive state A: When the first flipping machine is in the working position and performing the flipping operation in step S3 or the nail removal operation in step S4, control the second flipping machine to reset to the receiving position; Interactive state B: The synchronous control transfer mechanism performs the finished product removal operation in step S5 on the second flipping machine, and then performs the new product placement operation in step S2. State switching: After the first tilting machine completes nail removal and the second tilting machine completes loading, the two machines are controlled to switch working states, so that the nail removal operation and the loading and unloading operation overlap in time.

[0011] Preferably, the cross-attitude transfer in step S5 includes dynamic path planning: The transfer mechanism includes a first lifting component and a second lifting component that operate independently on the same transverse module; The control system calculates the minimum horizontal clearance distance between the two lifting components in real time based on the remaining empty space coordinates of the loading pallet and the unloading pallet. While ensuring the avoidance distance, the first lifting component is controlled to perform the grasping action in step S2, and the second lifting component is controlled to perform the placement action in step S5, so that the two can complete the handling of different processes in parallel within the same time axis.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment, for multi-standard pallet adaptation in step S1, the method also establishes a pallet feature database: Pre-store the slot spacing, number of slots, reference point offset, and applicable battery posture for different trays; When the equipment is running, by scanning the barcode or RFID tag on the tray, or by selecting the tray model through the human-machine interface, the corresponding parameters are automatically called to generate a coordinate matrix, without the need for mechanical teaching.

[0013] A second aspect of this invention provides an integrated lithium battery pin removal and reel replacement device using the above-described process, comprising a frame, characterized in that it further comprises: The feeding conveying and lifting mechanism is used to position and lift the first tray loaded with flat lithium batteries layer by layer, providing the source point in conjunction with the process method; The material feeding and conveying lifting mechanism is used to position and adjust the second tray loaded with vertical lithium batteries layer by layer, and to provide the target position in conjunction with the process method. The flipping mechanism, located in the middle of the frame, includes a flipping fixture for holding lithium batteries, a drive assembly for flipping the fixture from 0 to 90 degrees, and a displacement assembly for horizontally reciprocating the fixture between the receiving position and the working position. The nail removal mechanism, located above the working position of the flipping mechanism, is equipped with a nail removal head that has pressing, clamping and lifting functions, and is used to perform flexible nail removal operations. The transfer and handling mechanism includes a lateral movement component and two independently sliding lifting and transfer components, used to transfer lithium batteries between various mechanisms based on a coordinate matrix.

[0014] As a preferred option, the first tray is a flat tray specifically for the settling stage, and the second tray is a vertical tray specifically for the formation stage. The first lifting and transferring component of the transfer and handling mechanism is configured as a horizontal gripper, and the second lifting and transferring component is configured as a vertical gripper, respectively adapting to the different battery postures before and after the flipping mechanism.

[0015] As a preferred option, the equipment also integrates a vision inspection mechanism, located near the nail removal mechanism, to photograph the injection hole after nail removal and feed the data back to the control system to execute the closed-loop inspection step.

[0016] Preferably, the flipping mechanism includes a first flipping machine and a second flipping machine arranged side by side and controlled independently; The lateral travel of the transfer and handling mechanism covers the working areas of both tilting machines, and the control system is configured to execute a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy.

[0017] Compared with existing technologies, the lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process and equipment provided by this invention have the following outstanding substantive features and significant progress: By establishing a process method based on coordinate matrix mapping, software-level flexible adaptation to different specifications of stationary and formation trays is achieved, greatly reducing the cost of changeover and debugging; at the same time, by utilizing a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy, parallel operation of flipping pin removal and transferring loading and unloading is realized, effectively eliminating rigid waiting time between processes and significantly improving production cycle time; in addition, this invention constructs a visual quality closed-loop system of action-detection-feedback, combined with segmented pressing and variable speed force control pin removal process, completely solving the risk of blind removal caused by broken or missed pins, eliminating cumulative positioning errors, improving tray insertion accuracy, effectively eliminating safety hazards, and ensuring equipment safety and product yield in subsequent formation processes. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1This is a flowchart of a lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process adapted to multiple tray types in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a lithium battery disk changing and nail removal integrated device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a lithium battery refill and pin removal integrated device from another perspective, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The main view.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Top view.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure shown in Figure AA.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the flipping mechanism and the nail-pulling mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The main view.

[0026] Reference numerals: 10, frame; 20, feeding conveying and lifting mechanism; 30, unloading conveying and lifting mechanism; 40, flipping mechanism; 41, first flipping machine; 42, second flipping machine; 50, nail removal mechanism; 51, nail removal moving module; 52, nail removal head; 53, glue nail collection device; 60, transfer and handling mechanism; 61, lateral moving assembly; 62, first lifting and transferring assembly; 63, second lifting and transferring assembly; 70, vision inspection mechanism; 100, first pallet; 200, second pallet. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] This embodiment provides a lithium battery pin removal and tray changing process adapted to multiple tray types. The method relies on an integrated automated equipment, which mainly includes a frame, a feeding unit (for conveying a pallet containing horizontally laid batteries), an unloading unit (for conveying a pallet containing vertically laid batteries), a repositioning unit (for rotating the battery), a pin removal unit, and a transfer mechanism responsible for material handling. The entire line is centrally controlled and scheduled by a central control system (PLC or industrial computer). The specific execution steps of this process are as follows: Step S1: Parameter Calling and Coordinate Mapping To achieve seamless switching between multiple pallet types, the system pre-establishes a pallet feature database. The database stores detailed parameters for different pallet models, including but not limited to: pallet length and width dimensions, slot arrangement (number of rows × number of columns), slot spacing, offset of the reference point relative to the pallet edge, and the applicable battery orientation (flat or vertical). At the start of equipment operation, the pallet tag is read by a barcode scanner or RFID reader at the inlet, or the operator selects the current production model through the human-machine interface (HMI). The control system automatically calls the database parameters and, combined with the robot arm calibration data, generates two sets of key coordinate matrices: Source point plane coordinate matrix: describes the gripping center coordinates (X, Y, F, G) of each flat-lying lithium battery in the loading tray. i ,Y i Z pick ).

[0029] Target point 3D coordinate matrix: describes the center coordinates (X, Y, F) of each vertical receiving slot in the feeding tray. j ,Y j Z place This step eliminates the cumbersome mechanical teaching process traditionally required for model changeovers.

[0030] Step S2: The cycle-controlled transfer mechanism moves to the top of the loading tray according to the generated source point plane coordinate matrix in a predetermined order (such as a zigzag path). The gripper of the transfer mechanism adsorbs or grabs the lithium battery in a flat position, removes it from the tray, and transports it to the receiving position of the displacement unit (i.e., the initial horizontal position).

[0031] In step S3, after the lithium battery is placed in the positioning unit, the clamps of the positioning unit firmly hold the battery. Then, the positioning unit's drive mechanism drives the battery to flip from a horizontal position (0°) to a vertical position (90°). This process not only changes the angle but also physically displaces the battery from the "receiving position" to the "working position" through a mechanical structure. At this time, the lithium battery's injection hole (where the adhesive pin is located) is precisely guided to the side facing the pin removal unit, preparing space for subsequent operations.

[0032] S4. Flexible nail removal operation: At the work position, the nail removal unit is controlled to perform rigid clamping and flexible removal operations on the lithium battery to remove the adhesive nails at the lithium battery injection hole.

[0033] Step S5, Cross-Posture Transfer and Tray Insertion: After the subsequent nail removal operation, the transfer mechanism intervenes again. At this time, the gripper needs to adapt to the vertical posture of the battery and grab the battery from the side or top of the working position of the displacement unit. Subsequently, according to the target point 3D coordinate matrix generated in step S1, the battery is accurately inserted into the deep vertical receiving groove of the unloading tray, completing the tray changing process from "flat tray" to "vertical tray".

[0034] This embodiment focuses on describing the core nail removal operation and quality inspection process, aiming to solve the problem that traditional rigid nail removal easily damages the battery or leaves nail residue.

[0035] Step S4, Detailed Explanation of Flexible Pin Removal Operation: When the lithium battery has completed its flipping on the displacement unit and is in the working position, the pin removal unit operates according to the following sub-steps: Visual guidance (S41): The pin removal unit is first coarsely positioned above the theoretical coordinates. At this time, a high-precision industrial camera mounted on the pin removal module takes a picture of the battery filling hole area. The image processing algorithm quickly identifies the circular or polygonal outline of the pin, calculates the deviation (ΔX, ΔY) between its actual center coordinates and the theoretical coordinates, and controls the servo axis to perform micron-level motion compensation to ensure perfect alignment between the pin removal claw and the pin.

[0036] Segmented pressing (S42): To prevent the battery from floating or shaking due to the pulling force during nail removal, the pressing plate contacts the top of the battery before the grippers. A small first pre-tightening force is applied first to confirm the contact status; after confirmation, a larger second locking force is applied to firmly press the battery body onto the base of the displacement mechanism, forming a "rigid clamping".

[0037] Force-controlled pull-out (S43): Clamping: Special grippers insert into the gap at the head of the rubber nail and close to clamp it. Low-speed pull-out: The lifting unit lifts upwards at the first speed (low speed, e.g., 1-5 mm / s). This stage mainly overcomes the maximum static friction between the rubber nail and the injection hole, preventing the rubber nail from breaking due to excessive speed. Rapid release: After detecting a sudden drop in the tension value (meaning the rubber nail has loosened), it instantly switches to the second speed (high speed, e.g., 50-100 mm / s) to quickly complete the pull-out action, increasing the cycle time. Waste release: The pulled-out rubber nail is moved above the waste collection tube, the grippers open, and the rubber nail is blown into the collector by the air blowing device.

[0038] After the nail removal action in step S4 and before the transfer and gripping in step S5, the system introduces a machine vision inspection step: the vision inspection mechanism images the injection hole area again. The algorithm determines whether the glue nail has been completely removed by detecting changes in grayscale values ​​or matching feature points in a specific area.

[0039] Pass: If no residue is found, the system generates a "transfer allowed" signal, and the process proceeds to step S5.

[0040] Fail (NG): If residual material is detected (e.g., broken nail), the system generates an abnormal signal. At this time, according to the preset strategy, either a red alarm light is triggered and the machine is stopped for manual handling, or the nail removal unit is instructed to perform a "secondary removal" attempt. If the removal still fails, the defective product is rejected.

[0041] This embodiment describes how to maximize equipment productivity through a parallel processing strategy. The dual-channel asynchronous interactive control displacement unit is designed as a first and second flip machine arranged side by side (i.e., a dual-station design). The control strategy employs a "time mask" technique: Status A: When the first flipping machine is in the "working position" and is performing a time-consuming process such as flipping (S3) or nail removal (S4), the second flipping machine does not wait, but resets to the "receiving position".

[0042] State B: At this time, the transfer mechanism immediately operates the second flipping machine, first taking away the processed finished product (S5), and then putting in the new product to be processed (S2).

[0043] Alternating cycle: Once the first flipper completes its task, the two machines switch roles. This design allows the nail removal time to overlap with the loading and unloading time on the timeline, theoretically eliminating most of the waiting time waste.

[0044] To support the high-speed throughput of the dual-station transfer mechanism, a first and second independently operating lifting assembly are installed on the same X-axis beam. The control system monitors the positions of both assemblies in real time. Based on the distance between the current working points of the loading and unloading pallets, the system calculates the anti-collision boundary in real time. D real >D safe Where D real D is the horizontal spacing between the two components. safe To ensure the minimum safe clearance distance, the system can direct the first lifting component to grab raw materials (S2) while simultaneously directing the second lifting component to place finished products (S5). For example, when the left component is handling the left pallet area, the right component can independently handle the right area, or achieve efficient collaboration without interference in the intermediate handover area through a dynamic clearance algorithm, thereby multiplying the handling efficiency.

[0045] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a lithium battery refill and pin removal integrated device includes a frame 10, and further includes: The feeding conveying and lifting mechanism 20 is installed on the frame 10 and is used to convey, position and lift the first tray 100 loaded with lithium batteries to be processed. The unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30 is installed on the frame 10 and is used to convey, position and lift the second tray 200 for loading the processed lithium batteries. A flipping mechanism 40 is disposed on the frame 10 and is used to receive the lithium battery and perform attitude conversion on the lithium battery; The nail removal mechanism 50 is disposed on the frame 10 and located in the working area of ​​the flipping mechanism 40, and is used to remove the adhesive nails from the lithium battery located on the flipping mechanism 40. And a transfer and handling mechanism 60, which is disposed on the frame 10, is used to transfer the lithium battery from the loading conveying and lifting mechanism 20 to the flipping mechanism 40, and to transfer the lithium battery after nail removal from the flipping mechanism 40 to the unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30.

[0046] Specifically, the frame 10 is an integral frame structure constructed from high-strength industrial profiles, such as aluminum alloy profiles or welded steel structures. The frame 10 has a stable rectangular base and extends upwards to form columns and beams to support the various functional modules.

[0047] The various connection nodes of the frame 10 are fixed by bolts or welding to ensure that the overall structure has sufficient rigidity and load-bearing capacity. The bottom is equipped with leveling feet to precisely adjust the level of the equipment and absorb the effects of uneven ground.

[0048] The feeding and conveying lifting mechanism 20 is installed on one side of the frame 10. Its main function is to receive the first tray 100 containing lithium batteries to be processed from the outside, and then vertically lift it to a specified height after precise positioning. The feeding and conveying lifting mechanism 20 includes a first conveyor line, a first positioning component, and a first lifting component.

[0049] The first conveyor line is horizontally arranged on the left side of the frame 10 and consists of multiple rollers or belts connected in series. The first conveyor line is driven by an AC geared motor, which drives the rollers or belts to move continuously via belt drive or chain drive. Its conveying speed can be precisely adjusted between 0.1 m / s and 0.5 m / s. The first conveyor line is used to smoothly carry and transport the first pallet 100 along a preset path.

[0050] The first positioning component is located at the end of the first conveyor line, specifically at the stopping position after the first pallet 100 has completed its transport. The first positioning component includes two opposing positioning baffles and a positioning cylinder for driving the positioning baffles to move horizontally. The positioning baffles are made of L-shaped cross-section steel plates or aluminum alloy plates. The positioning baffles are mounted on both sides of the first conveyor line via linear guide rail assemblies to ensure precise horizontal movement.

[0051] The positioning cylinder is a double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed to the transverse support structure of the frame 10. The end of the piston rod is rigidly connected to the positioning baffle via a threaded connector. When the piston rod of the positioning cylinder extends or retracts, it drives the positioning baffle to move towards or away from each other along the linear guide rail. When the two positioning baffles move towards each other, they precisely clamp the side of the first pallet 100, thereby achieving precise positioning of the first pallet 100 in the horizontal plane.

[0052] The first lifting assembly is located directly below the first positioning assembly. The first lifting assembly includes a lifting platform and a lifting motor that drives the lifting platform to move vertically. The lifting platform is a rectangular flat plate structure, with its planar dimensions slightly larger than the bottom dimensions of the first pallet 100 to ensure full support for the first pallet 100. The lifting platform is slidably connected to the vertical support structure of the frame 10 via four vertical guide columns. The guide columns use precision linear guides with a diameter of D4 mm, and the surface of the guides is hardened to ensure smooth lifting of the platform.

[0053] The lifting motor is a servo motor, connected to the lifting platform via a ball screw drive mechanism or a synchronous belt drive mechanism. When the lifting motor is working, it drives the lifting platform to perform precise vertical lifting and lowering movements along the vertical guide column through the ball screw drive mechanism.

[0054] After receiving the first pallet 100 after positioning, the lifting platform raises it from the plane of the first conveyor line to a preset height to facilitate the transfer and handling mechanism 60 to perform the lithium battery grabbing operation.

[0055] The first tray 100 is a flat tray for the resting stage. The flat tray has multiple horizontally arranged battery receiving slots with their axes arranged horizontally. The design dimensions of the battery receiving slots are precisely matched with the external dimensions of the lithium batteries to be processed, ensuring that the lithium batteries are placed stably in them.

[0056] The unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30 is installed on another side of the frame 10. Its main function is to receive the processed lithium batteries placed by the transfer and handling mechanism 60, and then precisely position them before vertically lowering or raising them and then conveying them out.

[0057] The unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30 has a similar structure to the loading conveying and lifting mechanism 20, which will not be described in detail here, to facilitate the placement of lithium batteries by the transfer and handling mechanism 60. The second tray 200 is a vertical tray used in the formation stage. The vertical tray has multiple vertically arranged battery receiving slots. The axes of the battery receiving slots are arranged vertically, and their design dimensions are precisely matched with the external dimensions of the processed lithium batteries to ensure that the lithium batteries are stably placed in them and meet the requirements of subsequent processes for battery posture.

[0058] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6and Figure 7 As shown, the flipping mechanism 40 is located in the middle area of ​​the frame 10, between the feeding conveying and lifting mechanism 20 and the unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30. Its core function is to receive the lithium battery transported by the transfer and handling mechanism 60 and perform attitude conversion operation on it, so that the lithium battery changes from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude.

[0059] The flipping mechanism 40 includes a flipping fixture, a drive assembly, and a displacement assembly. The flipping fixture is a complex, multi-functional structure whose main body is precision-machined from high-strength aluminum alloy. It has a cavity for accommodating the lithium battery and a clamping unit for holding the lithium battery.

[0060] The clamping unit is located inside the side wall of the cavity and includes two opposing grippers and a clamping cylinder that drives the grippers to open and close. The grippers are made of highly wear-resistant engineering plastic or metal parts with a surface covered with cushioning material, and their clamping surfaces match the side shape of the lithium battery to achieve stable and damage-free clamping.

[0061] The clamping cylinder is a small double-acting cylinder, with its body fixed inside the flipping fixture. The piston rod is connected to the grippers via a linkage mechanism. When the piston rod extends, it drives the two grippers to move towards each other and close, thus tightly clamping the lithium battery inside the cavity. When the piston rod retracts, it drives the two grippers to move away and open, releasing the lithium battery.

[0062] The drive assembly is fixedly connected to the tilting fixture and includes a tilting motor and a transmission mechanism. The tilting motor is a servo motor, and its mounting base is connected to the side of the tilting fixture by bolts. The transmission mechanism consists of a gear drive or belt drive system, and the drive shaft of the tilting motor is connected to the drive shaft of the tilting fixture through an output gear or pulley.

[0063] The drive shaft of the tilting fixture is supported on the support structure of the displacement assembly by two self-aligning bearings, with the axis arranged horizontally. When the tilting motor operates through the transmission mechanism, it drives the tilting fixture to tilt precisely from zero to ninety degrees around its horizontal axis.

[0064] A displacement assembly is located below the tilting fixture and is used to drive the tilting fixture to reciprocate horizontally between the receiving position and the nail-pulling position. The displacement assembly includes a pair of horizontal guide rails and a displacement cylinder that drives the tilting fixture to move along the horizontal guide rails. The horizontal guide rails are precision linear guide rails, arranged parallel to the transverse support beam of the frame 10. The bottom of the tilting fixture is slidably connected to the horizontal guide rails through a slider mechanism to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of its horizontal movement.

[0065] The displacement cylinder is a double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed to the transverse support beam of the frame 10. The end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the bottom of the tilting fixture via a connecting plate. When the displacement cylinder is working, its piston rod extends or retracts, driving the tilting fixture to move precisely back and forth along the horizontal guide rail between the preset receiving position and the nail removal position.

[0066] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the nail removal mechanism 50 is mounted on the frame 10 and located directly above the working area of ​​the flipping mechanism 40. The core function of the nail removal mechanism 50 is to remove the adhesive nails from the lithium battery located on the flipping mechanism 40.

[0067] The nail removal mechanism 50 includes a nail removal moving module 51, a nail removal head 52, and a nail collection device 53. The nail removal moving module 51 is located directly above the flipping mechanism 40, and its main body is constructed of high-strength aluminum alloy profiles, which have high rigidity and lightweight characteristics.

[0068] The pin-removing moving module 51 includes a first horizontal guide rail and a second horizontal guide rail arranged perpendicularly to each other, and a servo motor that drives the pin-removing head 52 to move along the first horizontal guide rail and the second horizontal guide rail. The pin-removing head 52 is connected to the bottom of the pin-removing moving module 51, and its body is composed of precision-machined aluminum alloy parts to ensure a rigid connection with the pin-removing moving module 51.

[0069] The nail puller head 52 is an integrated, multi-functional actuator, comprising a pressing unit, a clamping unit, and a lifting unit. The pressing unit includes a pressing plate and a pressing cylinder for driving the pressing plate vertically. The pressing plate is a rectangular flat plate with a rubber or polyurethane cushioning layer on its bottom surface to prevent damage to the lithium battery surface during pressing. The pressing plate is mounted within the frame of the nail puller head 52 via a vertical guide mechanism. The pressure cylinder is a small double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed to the top of the nail-pulling head 52 and the piston rod end connected to the lower pressure plate. When the pressure cylinder is working, it drives the lower pressure plate to move vertically downward, fixing and pressing the top of the lithium battery located on the flipping mechanism 40 to ensure that the lithium battery maintains a stable posture during the nail-pulling process.

[0070] The clamping unit is located below the center of the lower pressure plate and includes two opposing grippers and a gripper cylinder that drives the grippers to open and close. The grippers are made of high-strength steel or hard alloy material, and their front end shape is designed to accurately insert into and clamp the rubber pin head on the lithium battery. The clamping surface has an anti-slip texture.

[0071] The grippers are rotatably connected to the internal frame structure of the nail-removing head 52 via precision pins. The gripper cylinder is a miniature double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed inside the nail-removing head 52. The end of the piston rod is connected to the grippers via a linkage mechanism. When the gripper cylinder operates, it drives the two grippers to move towards each other and close, thereby tightly gripping the nail to be removed; when the piston rod of the gripper cylinder retracts, it drives the two grippers to move away and open, releasing the nail.

[0072] The lifting unit is located above and connected to the clamping unit, and includes a lifting plate and a lifting cylinder for driving the lifting plate to move vertically. The lifting plate is a rectangular plate structure made of aluminum alloy, and it is mounted in the frame of the nail puller 52 via a vertical guide mechanism.

[0073] The lifting cylinder is a double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed to the top frame of the nail-pulling head 52, and the end of the piston rod connected to the lifting plate. When the lifting plate moves vertically, it drives the clamping unit to move upward or downward. After the adhesive nail is clamped by the clamping unit, the lifting cylinder drives the lifting plate to move upward, thereby driving the clamping unit to vertically pull the adhesive nail out of the lithium battery.

[0074] The glue nail collecting device 53 is located on one side of the nail removal moving module 51, specifically at the edge of the working area of ​​the nail removal mechanism 50. The glue nail collecting device 53 includes a collecting box and a guide groove. The collecting box is made of impact-resistant plastic or thin metal sheet and is fixedly connected to the side structure of the frame 10 by clips or bolts for easy periodic cleaning.

[0075] The guide groove has a funnel-shaped or ramp-shaped structure and is made of smooth engineering plastic or stainless steel plate. The lower outlet is connected to the opening of the collection box. When the nail removal moving module 51 moves the removed nail directly above the collection box, the gripper of the clamping unit opens to release the nail. Under the action of gravity, the nail falls accurately into the collection box through the guide groove.

[0076] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the transfer and handling mechanism 60 is located in the upper space of the frame 10, spanning above the loading conveying and lifting mechanism 20, the tilting mechanism 40, and the unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30. The core function of the transfer and handling mechanism 60 is to achieve precise transfer of lithium batteries between the different mechanisms.

[0077] The transfer and handling mechanism 60 includes a lateral movement assembly 61, a first lifting and transfer assembly 62, and a second lifting and transfer assembly 63. The lateral movement assembly 61 is horizontally positioned on top of the frame 10, specifically along the length (X-axis) of the equipment. The lateral movement assembly 61 includes a crossbeam, a pair of horizontal guide rails, and a servo motor that drives the crossbeam to move along the horizontal guide rails.

[0078] When the servo motor is working, the drive beam moves precisely horizontally along the horizontal guide rail in the entire length of the frame 10. Its moving speed can be adjusted between 0.5 meters per second and 1.5 meters per second, and the positioning accuracy can reach ±0.05 millimeters.

[0079] The first lifting and transferring assembly 62 is slidably mounted on the crossbeam of the transverse moving assembly 61. The first lifting and transferring assembly 62 includes a first lifting frame, a pair of first lifting guide rails, and a lifting cylinder that drives the first lifting frame to move vertically along the first lifting guide rails. The first lifting frame is an "L"-shaped or "U"-shaped aluminum alloy frame structure, which is slidably connected to the crossbeam through a slider assembly to achieve movement along the length of the crossbeam.

[0080] The first lifting guide rail is a vertically arranged precision linear guide rail, fixed to the inner side of the first lifting frame. The lifting cylinder is a double-acting cylinder, with its cylinder body fixed to the top of the first lifting frame. The end of the piston rod is connected to a vertical slider, which drives the first lifting frame to move vertically up and down along the first lifting guide rail via a ball screw or gear rack mechanism.

[0081] The bottom of the first lifting frame is equipped with a first gripping claw. The first gripping claw is a pneumatic three-finger or two-finger gripper, the gripping part of which is made of wear-resistant engineering plastic or metal, and has a sensor inside to detect the presence of lithium batteries and the gripping status. Its gripping force can be adjusted between 5 Newtons and 20 Newtons. It is mainly used to grab lithium batteries from the first tray 100 on the feeding conveying lifting mechanism 20 and place them into the flipping fixture of the flipping mechanism 40.

[0082] The second lifting and transfer assembly 63 is slidably mounted on the crossbeam of the transverse moving assembly 61, arranged side-by-side with the first lifting and transfer assembly 62, and can move independently. The structure of the second lifting and transfer assembly 63 is basically the same as that of the first lifting and transfer assembly 62, including a second lifting frame, a pair of second lifting guide rails, and a lifting cylinder that drives the second lifting frame to move vertically along the second lifting guide rails. Its main function is to grab lithium batteries that have undergone nail removal from the flipping fixture of the flipping mechanism 40 and place them into the second tray 200 on the unloading and conveying lifting mechanism 30. The first lifting and transfer assembly 62 and the second lifting and transfer assembly 63 work together to achieve seamless connection and transport of lithium batteries between different workstations through precise horizontal movement and vertical lifting.

[0083] like Figure 4 As shown, the visual inspection mechanism 70 is located near the nail removal mechanism 50, specifically mounted on the top crossbeam of the frame 10, and situated above the flipping mechanism 40. The visual inspection mechanism 70 is used to acquire and inspect images of the lithium battery's injection hole area after the nail removal operation is completed.

[0084] The vision inspection unit 70 includes an industrial camera, a light source bracket, and a ring light source. The industrial camera is a high-resolution color industrial camera, which is fixed to the top crossbeam of the frame 10 via a camera bracket. The lens of the industrial camera is connected to the camera body via a lens interface, and the lens is precisely oriented towards the lithium battery filling hole area on the flip mechanism 40 to ensure image acquisition at the optimal viewing angle.

[0085] The light source bracket is fixed around the industrial camera, specifically bolted to the bottom or side of the camera bracket. Its design is ring-shaped or polygonal to stably support the ring light source. The ring light source is mounted on the light source bracket. The ring light source uses an LED array to provide uniform and shadowless illumination to the lithium battery's filling hole area, eliminating the impact of reflections and shadows on image quality. After the pin removal operation is completed, the industrial camera, under the auxiliary illumination of the ring light source, captures high-resolution image data of the lithium battery's filling hole on the flipping mechanism 40.

[0086] In another embodiment of the present invention, the flipping mechanism 40 includes a first flipping machine 41 and a second flipping machine 42. The first flipping machine 41 and the second flipping machine 42 are arranged side by side between the feeding conveying and lifting mechanism 20 and the unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30. They are structurally identical and can independently perform the flipping and nail removal operations of lithium batteries.

[0087] The first flipping machine 41 and the second flipping machine 42 each have the flipping fixture, drive assembly, and displacement assembly as described above. This side-by-side arrangement allows the first flipping machine 41 and the second flipping machine 42 to alternately perform the flipping and pin-removing operations of lithium batteries, thereby achieving continuous operation and maximizing efficiency of the equipment during the production process.

[0088] The specific workflow is as follows: when the first flipping machine 41 is in the nail removal operation state, that is, its flipping fixture carries the lithium battery and moves to the nail removal position, and the nail removal mechanism 50 performs the nail removal operation, the second flipping machine 42 is in the lithium battery receiving state, that is, its flipping fixture moves to the receiving position, waiting for the first lifting and transferring component 62 of the transfer and handling mechanism 60 to place the new lithium battery in it.

[0089] After the first flipper 41 completes the nail removal operation, the second lifting and transferring component 63 of the transfer and handling mechanism 60 removes the processed lithium battery from the first flipper 41 and places it into the second tray 200 on the unloading conveying and lifting mechanism 30. Simultaneously, after receiving the lithium battery, the second flipper 42 moves to the nail removal position, where the nail removal mechanism 50 removes the nail. This alternating parallel working mode significantly improves the equipment's production cycle time and overall efficiency. The lateral movement component 61 of the transfer and handling mechanism 60 has a sufficient stroke length to cover the working areas of the first flipper 41 and the second flipper 42, and its first lifting and transferring component 62 and second lifting and transferring component 63 can move and lift independently along the crossbeam 61 to coordinate the alternating operation of the two flippers 41 and 42. The structure, connection relationships, and working principles of the remaining unmentioned mechanisms and components are basically the same as described in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0090] This invention presents a lithium battery tray changing and nail removal integrated device. It integrates multiple functional modules, including a feeding conveying and lifting mechanism 20, a discharging conveying and lifting mechanism 30, a flipping mechanism 40, a nail removal mechanism 50, and a transfer and handling mechanism 60, into a unified frame 10, forming a highly compact integrated structural layout. Through precise mechanical connections, spatial positioning, and motion coordination, the various mechanisms achieve the conversion of lithium batteries from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, automated nail removal, and automated tray changing. This integrated structural design significantly reduces the equipment's footprint and lowers the system hardware configuration cost. Optimizing the connections between the various mechanisms reduces the transmission distance, positioning waiting time, and number of repositioning operations between different processes, effectively shortening the overall operation time and improving the production line's cycle time. Furthermore, the integrated structural layout enhances the stability and reliability of lithium batteries during transmission, reducing the risk of product damage due to displacement or collision, thereby improving the operational stability of the automated production line and the product yield.

[0091] This invention is not limited to the specific technical solutions described in the above embodiments. Besides the above embodiments, this invention may have other implementation methods. For those skilled in the art, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process adapted to multiple tray types, characterized in that, This method is based on an integrated device, which includes a feeding unit, a positioning unit, a nail-removing unit, and a unloading unit; the process includes the following steps: S1. Pallet type recognition and coordinate mapping: Obtain the specification parameters of the currently input loading pallet and unloading pallet; The control system generates a source point plane coordinate matrix and a target point three-dimensional coordinate matrix according to the specification parameters; Wherein, the source point corresponds to the flat posture of the lithium battery, and the target point corresponds to the vertical posture of the lithium battery. S2. Cyclic material handling and pre-positioning: The control transfer mechanism picks up the lithium battery in a flat position from the loading tray according to the source point position plane coordinate matrix and transports it to the receiving position of the displacement unit. S3, Attitude Conversion and Spatial Reconstruction: Control the displacement unit to hold the lithium battery and perform a flipping action from horizontal to vertical. At the same time, move the lithium battery from the receiving position to the working position to complete the spatial attitude reconstruction of the lithium battery so that its liquid injection hole faces the nail removal unit. S4. Flexible nail removal operation: At the work position, the nail removal unit is controlled to perform rigid clamping and flexible removal operations on the lithium battery to remove the glue nails at the lithium battery injection hole. S5, Cross-posture transfer and stacking: Control the transfer mechanism to grab the lithium battery that has been converted to a vertical posture from the working position of the displacement unit, and accurately load the lithium battery into the vertical receiving slot of the unloading tray according to the three-dimensional coordinate matrix of the target point. Specifically, for the multi-standard pallet adaptation in step S1, the process method also establishes a pallet feature database: Pre-store the slot spacing, number of slots, reference point offset, and applicable battery posture for different trays; When the equipment is running, the coordinate matrix is ​​automatically generated by scanning the barcode or RFID tag on the tray or by selecting the tray model through the human-machine interface, without the need for mechanical teaching.

2. The lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process method adapted to multi-type trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the flexible nail removal operation specifically includes the following sub-steps: S41. Visual guidance and correction: The nail removal unit moves to above the preset coordinates, identifies the actual center coordinates of the nail through the visual sensor, calculates the deviation value from the theoretical coordinates, and compensates for the movement position. S42, Segmented downward pressure fixing: Control the downward pressure plate of the nail puller to contact the top of the lithium battery. First, apply the first pre-tightening force. After confirming good contact, apply the second locking force to prevent displacement during nail pull. S43, Clamping and Force-Controlled Pulling Out: Control the gripper to insert and clamp the head of the glue nail, then control the lifting unit to pull out at a low speed at the first speed. After the glue nail is loosened, switch to the second speed to pull out quickly, and move the pulled-out glue nail to the top of the collection device for release.

3. The lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process method adapted to multi-type trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method also includes a machine vision-based quality loop closure detection step: After the nail removal action is completed in step S4, and before the transfer and gripping in step S5, the vision inspection mechanism is controlled to acquire images of the lithium battery injection hole area located on the displacement unit. Analyze the images to determine if any adhesive residue remains; If it is determined that there is no residue, a transfer permission signal is generated, triggering step S5; If residue is detected, an abnormal signal is generated, and the control system suspends the process alarm or triggers the nail removal unit to perform a secondary nail removal action.

4. The lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process method adapted to multi-type trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The displacement unit includes a first flipper and a second flipper arranged side by side; the process method adopts a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy. Interactive state A: When the first flipping machine is in the working position and performing the flipping operation in step S3 or the nail removal operation in step S4, control the second flipping machine to reset to the receiving position; Interactive state B: The synchronous control transfer mechanism performs the finished product removal operation in step S5 on the second flipping machine, and then performs the new product placement operation in step S2. State switching: After the first tilting machine completes nail removal and the second tilting machine completes loading, the two machines are controlled to switch working states, so that the nail removal operation and the loading and unloading operation overlap in time.

5. The lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process method adapted to multi-type trays according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-attitude transfer in step S5 includes dynamic path planning: The transfer mechanism includes a first lifting component and a second lifting component that operate independently on the same transverse module; The control system calculates the minimum horizontal clearance distance between the two lifting components in real time based on the remaining empty space coordinates of the loading pallet and the unloading pallet. While ensuring the avoidance distance, the first lifting component is controlled to perform the grasping action in step S2, and the second lifting component is controlled to perform the placement action in step S5, so that the two can complete the handling of different processes in parallel within the same time axis.

6. A lithium battery pin-removing and reel-changing integrated device, comprising a frame and a control system, characterized in that, The control system is configured to perform the lithium battery pin removal and tray replacement process method adapted to multi-type trays as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and further includes: The feeding conveying and lifting mechanism is used to position and lift the first tray loaded with flat lithium batteries layer by layer, providing the source point in conjunction with the process method; The material feeding and conveying lifting mechanism is used to position and adjust the second tray loaded with vertical lithium batteries layer by layer, and to provide the target position in conjunction with the process method. The flipping mechanism, located in the middle of the frame, includes a flipping fixture for holding lithium batteries, a drive assembly for driving the flipping fixture to flip 0-90 degrees, and a displacement assembly for driving the flipping fixture to reciprocate horizontally between the receiving position and the working position. The nail removal mechanism, located above the working position of the flipping mechanism, is equipped with a nail removal head that has pressing, clamping and lifting functions, and is used to perform flexible nail removal operations. The transfer and handling mechanism includes a lateral movement component and two independently sliding lifting and transfer components, used to transfer lithium batteries between various mechanisms based on a coordinate matrix.

7. The lithium battery pin-removing and reel-changing integrated device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first tray is a flat tray specifically for the settling stage, and the second tray is a vertical tray specifically for the formation stage. The first lifting and transferring component of the transfer and handling mechanism is configured as a horizontal gripper, and the second lifting and transferring component is configured as a vertical gripper, respectively adapting to the different battery postures before and after the flipping mechanism.

8. The lithium battery pin removal and reel replacement integrated device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The device also integrates a visual inspection mechanism, which is located near the nail removal mechanism, to take pictures of the injection hole after nail removal and feed the data back to the control system to perform the quality closed-loop inspection step. The quality closed-loop detection step includes controlling the vision detection mechanism to acquire images of the lithium battery injection hole area located on the displacement unit after the nail removal action is completed in step S4 and before the transfer and gripping in step S5. Analyze the images to determine if any adhesive residue remains; If it is determined that there is no residue, a transfer permission signal is generated, triggering step S5; If residue is detected, an abnormal signal is generated, and the control system suspends the process alarm or triggers the nail removal unit to perform a secondary nail removal action.

9. The lithium battery pin removal and reel replacement integrated device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism includes a first flipping machine and a second flipping machine arranged side by side and controlled independently; The lateral travel of the transfer and handling mechanism covers the working areas of the two flippers, and the control system is configured to execute a dual-channel asynchronous interactive control strategy. The dual-channel asynchronous interaction control strategy includes: Interactive state A: When the first flipping machine is in the working position and performing the flipping operation in step S3 or the nail removal operation in step S4, control the second flipping machine to reset to the receiving position; Interactive state B: The synchronous control transfer mechanism performs the finished product removal operation in step S5 on the second flipping machine, and then performs the new product placement operation in step S2. State switching: After the first tilting machine completes nail removal and the second tilting machine completes loading, the two machines are controlled to switch working states, so that the nail removal operation and the loading and unloading operation overlap in time.

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